

Glass J 


Rnnk A $7 / 0 



COPYRIGHT DEPOSIT 









% 

4 




INTO THE BLUE RIDGE. 





CAMPING 


ON 


THE BLUE RIDGE, 


NEAR THE 

“LICK LOG” TUNNEL 


BY 

Mrs. E. H. AMIS. 

J ) 

5 > 




Ktcfymortb, Pa.: 

Presbyterian Committee of Publication. 




Copyrighted by 

JAMES K. HAZEN, Secretary of Publication. 

18 ao 
_ » * 


PBINTED BY 

Whittet & Sheppebson, 
Richmond, Va. 






CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER I. 

Planning the Trip, 

CHAPTER II. 

Off to the Mountains, 

CHAPTER III. 

Mountain Perch, 

CHAPTER IY. 

Camp Life, .... 

CHAPTER Y. 

Tea Drinking at Mr. Brown’s, 


CHAPTER VI. 

The More the Merrier, 

CHAPTER VII. 

One Sabbath, 


CHAPTER VIII. 


Page 

5 

12 

19 

28 

39 

49 

56 


Birthday Picnic, 


3 


65 


4 


Contents , 


Page. 

CHAPTER IX. 

The Picnic — Continued, . . . „ 76 

CHAPTER X. 

Lost, ........ 86 


CHAPTER XI. 


Found. 


94 


CAMPING ON THE BLUE RIDGE. 


CHAPTER I. 

PLANNING THE TRIP. 

“ | ) OSALIE ! Eosalie ! I have something 
V) splendid to tell you,” said Marie, as 
she bounded into her aunt’s room one bright 
June afternoon. 

“My! my! child,” said Aunt Jane, “are the 
skies falling, and you’ve run here to tell us 
about it? ” 

“Now, Aunt Jane, how inconsistent you are, 
and how you do love to tease me ! If the sky 
were falling couldn’t you see it here, as well as 
at our house, then what would be the use of 
my running to tell you ? I think such a phe- 
nomenon would be anything but pleasant, and 
I really have something splendid to tell you.” 

“ Let’s have it then, without more ado,” said 
Eosalie, “I am sure I will think it fine if you 
say it is.” 


5 


6 


Camping on the Blue Bidge. 

“Why,” said Marie, her eyes shining even 
with anticipated pleasure, “ we are going to the 
mountains.” 

“Are you really in earnest, Marie, or is that 
only an air-castle which must vanish as so 
many of ours have already done ? ” 

“Well, if this is an air-castle, I hope we may 
have many more like it, for I tell you that 
unless the sky does fall, as Aunt Jane says, or 
something else dreadful happens, we will surely 
go, for father says so, and the best of it is, 
that you are to go too, Rosalie; yes, you are 
going, dear old girl ! ” And Marie threw her 
arms around her cousin, and gave her an enthu- 
siastic hug by way of emphasis. “We have it 
all planned out, for you need the trip, and our 
party would not be complete without you.” 

“Oh, Marie!” was all Rosalie could say, 
then Marie continued her information. 

“Cousin James is going, too, father and mo- 
ther, sister, Alves and Edwin.” 

“ Well ! ” broke in Aunt Jane, “ your ship must 
surely have come in ; can’t you take me, too ? ” 
“ No, indeed,” said Marie, with a mischievous 
wink of her eye, “you won’t let Rosalie use 


7 


Planning the Trip. 

slang, we can’t have you along, for we want to 
do just as we like, and we might like to use a 
little slang while we are rusticating.” 

Marie and her aunt were on the most familiar 
terms, and often indulged in a little good- 
humored badinage when they met. 

“ If you two are to do as you please,” said 
Aunt Jane, “I beg to be excused from being 
one of the party.” 

“If you don’t care, then, pray who cares? 
So you need not put on airs,” saucily sang 
Marie; “but we are going to the mountains all 
the same.” 

Then both girls sprang to their feet, and 
clasping their arms round each other danced 
up and down the room in the merriest girlish 
fashion. They only stopped dancing when 
they had gotten out into the porch and seated 
themselves under the fragrant vines to continue 
their interesting conversation. 

“I say Marie,” began Rosalie, “is this all 
really so? it seems too good to be true.” 

“Yes it does sound somewhat like a fairy tale, 
but you know my good father never indulges in 
air-castles, as you were saying, but lays his found- 


8 Camping on the Blue Ridge. 

ations firmly, and then makes his plans in the 
most matter-of-fact way possible. You see, we 
cannot bear the heat of summer here, and father 
thinks we had better leave town before severe 
illness drives us off, as was the case last season. 
He has been looking round for some time for a 
healthful retreat which would not be beyond 
our limited means. Not long ago father heard 
that the president of the N. C. E. E. had offered 
a pass over the road to any minister who would 
go up to the Stockade near the top of the Blue 
Eidge, and preach to the five hundred convicts 
who were employed in making the road. Major 
AY. is an old friend of mother’s, and when father 
wrote to him about our going he was very kind. 
He offered us all a pass over the road, and, in 
addition, the use of a double cabin which had 
been occupied by the captain and surgeon of 
the Stockade before it was moved farther over 
the mountain, if we felt inclined to try a sort of 
camping-life. Think of it, Eosalie, camping in 
a double log- cabin within one hundred yards of 
the top of the Blue Eidge ! Could anything be 
more romantic?” Then the girls indulged in 
an enthusiastic squeal of delight. “You see, 


9 


Planning the Trip. 

there will really be very little expense. Cousin 
James is going to take mother and Alves across 
the country, so we will have the horse and 
jersey to go foraging with, as he says. Isn’t 
it splendid to have him with us? You can’t 
imagine how pleasant he is for such a trip, he 
is so unlike most college students, knows ex- 
actly what to do, and how to do it, is full of 
wit and humor, and talks so kindly to the plain 
people on the road that they all seem to like 
him very much.” 

“I can imagine it all,” said Rosalie, “I never 
saw an own brother more devoted to sisters 
than he is to you girls.” 

Much more the happy girls had to talk of con- 
cerning their anticipated trip, but leaving them 
to their pleasant planning, we will introduce 
the reader to the other members of the party 
without going into any wearisome description 
of each one. 

First was Marie’s father, Rev. Edward Rich- 
ards. Even the most casual observer could not 
fail to see in his thoughtful, almost grave, face, 
something that instantly commanded respect. 
He never forgot his sacred calling, yet his 


10 


Camping on the Blue Ridge . 

ready sympathy, and peculiarly pleasant smile, 
won the love and confidence of young and old. 
Mrs. Richards was a real helpmeet, the friend 
and adviser of rich and poor, and the confi- 
dante of her daughters. Robina, the eldest, was 
just budding into beautiful womanhood. “A 
perfect woman, nobly planned to warn, to com- 
fort, and command.” She was nineteen, but so 
well developed, mentally, as to appear much 
older, yet there was no lack of gaiety of spirit 
in her temperament. Marie, and her cousin, 
Rosalie, the much-loved niece of Mr. Richards, 
were very near the same age, nearing the “ magi- 
cal seventeen,” both brimful and bubbling over 
with fun and frolic. One might have supposed 
that life to them had been one bright summer 
day, yet each had known the overshadowing of 
dark clouds on their way, in the form of physi- 
cal suffering and feeble health. But that only 
made them more tender in their sympathies, 
and more ready to share the sorrows and bear 
the burdens of their friends ; the “ children ” of 
whom Marie had spoken were Alves, a girl of 
twelve, and Edwin, nearly ten years of age. 
The cousin, James, was Mrs. Richard’s nephew. 


11 


Planning the Trip . 

James Burnett was a talented youth of twenty- 
one, not one of the romantically handsome sort, 
but so sprightly and genial in his manners that 
“to know him was to love him.” These eight 
constituted the mountain party, all entirely con- 
genial to each other. 

Mr. Richards had carefully planned the trip, 
and every minute detail was entered into with 
as much zest by himself as by the more youth- 
ful members of the party. 

When all was arranged to general satisfac- 
tion, Rosalie remarked : “ There are just enough 
of us, and not one too many to be a jolly crowd, 
and won’t we wake the echoes of those old 
mountains with our fun ? ” 


CHAPTER II. 

OFF TO THE MOUNTAINS. 

AYE you ever visited the mountains, 



Jl — L gentle reader ? Not to spend “ the 
heated term” at some fashionable resort, but 
for real rusticating. If not, you can have no 
idea of the excitement and fun that there is in 
packing for such a trip. 

“Be sure to come early to-morrow, Rosalie,” 
said Marie, “ for we will have a fine time pack- 
ing. After much discussion, it has been de- 
cided that two trunks and a valise are to carry 
the wardrobes of the party — one for father, 
mother, and the children, the other for the three 
young misses.” 

“Think of it!” said Rosalie, “going off sum- 
mering with only one trunk, instead of having 
a large Saratoga apiece ! ” 

What a time they had deciding what was 
absolutely necessary, and then finding that the 
aforesaid trunk would not hold half the gar- 
ments selected! After much taking out and 


12 


Off to the Mountains . 


13 


putting in, the important work was finished, 
and the merry trio went to assist in filling a 
large goods-box with necessaries — “ all the 
household and kitchen furniture,” as Marie 
declared. 

“I say, girls,” said Robina, “we are only to 
have one plate, cup, and saucer apiece; then 
some new tin plates and cups are to represent 
silver and cut glass.” 

“This toilet set must surely go in,” said Ma- 
rie, holding up a new tin washpan. 

While the young people were amusing them- 
selves over the variety of things they were get- 
ting into the “Noah’s ark,” as they dubbed the 
big box, Mr. and Mrs. Richards were collect- 
ing necessary supplies to refresh the inner 
man, not unmindful of bodily comfort, either, 
as evidenced by the bedding — bedticks (to be 
filled with straw), pillows, and blankets ; which 
last, Mr. Burnett declared, made him shiver 
that hot day. 

There was another box to go, too, the one 
into which the little melodeon was packed, for 
it was almost like a member of the family, and 
added greatly to their pleasure. Its soft notes 


14 


Camping on the Blue Ridge. 

were always to be heard each morning and 
evening, when the whole household joined in 
sacred songs at the family altar. With it were 
also packed some books, and games to enliven 
rainy days when roving was an impossibility. 

The boxes were shipped about a week be- 
fore the party started, to insure their arrival in 
good time. 

On the fifteenth of July, Mr. Richards, Ro- 
bina, Marie, Rosalie, and little Edwin boarded 
the 9 A. M. train for Western North Carolina, 
leaving the others to make some arrangements 
for their absence, close the house, and make 
the trip across the country. 

“I say, girls,” said Robina, “I wish some of 
you would pinch me, that I may be sure we 
are on our way to the mountains, and this is 
not just a pleasant dream.” 

Both girls reached out a willing hand, and 
she might have had rather a painful sense of 
her identity but for a sudden glimpse of the 
mountains as the train passed around a curve. 

Oh ! the grandeur and beauty of those ever- 
lasting hills! The scenery along the Western 
North Carolina Railroad is beautiful beyond 


Off to the Mountains. 


15 


description, and to Mr. Richards and his two 
daughters, whose home had formerly been at 
the foot of the Blue Ridge in Virginia, the 
sight of the mountains was like the familiar 
face of a dearly-loved friend. Their hearts 
were stirred with deeper feelings than those 
with which a casual observer would gaze at the 
exquisite beauty of the scenery. The girls, 
whose voluble tongues always found something 
worthy of remark, were awed into silence as 
the lovely panorama passed in and out of view. 

At the town of Hickory an observation-car 
was attached to the train, from which our tra- 
vellers enjoyed fully the magnificent views of 
the mountains, and ever and anon indulged in 
subdued exclamations of intense delight. 

Sometimes the road wound round the moun- 
tain, which rose high on one side, while a chasm 
several hundred feet deep yawned on the other 
side. Often, without a moment’s warning, the 
train plunged into a dark tunnel, and, before 
the eye was accustomed to the darkness, made 
visible by the dim light of a lamp, dashed out 
again into the full glare of daylight. The pas- 
sengers often felt as if they were literally flying 


16 Camping on the Blue Ridge. 

through the air, and would have to hold their 
breath as the locomotive rushed over trestles 
of dizzy height. Filled with wonder and de- 
light, our travellers passed from one scene of 
beauty to another. 

About nightfall they reached Henry’s, a small 
station a mile and a half from their destination. 
Here our travellers stopped, and they were glad 
to find an excellent hotel where they met quite 
a number of pleasant acquaintances, among 
them Governor Z. B. Yance, who was a friend 
of both Mr. and Mrs. Bichards. The President 

of the North Carolina Bailroad, Major W , 

was boarding with his family at the hotel, and 
they, also, were old acquaintances. Mr. Wm. 
Brown and his family were rusticating for the 
summer in a small house on the opposite side 
of the road. 

After being refreshed by a hearty supper, 
our travellers spent a delightful evening in the 
parlor with a number of congenial friends in 

“Converse familiar, sportive, kind; 

Where heart met heart, mind quickened mind ; 

And thoughts and words were all at play, 

Like children on a holiday.” 


Off to the Mountains. 


17 


Eobina was delighted to find a piano, and 
added much to the enjoyment of the even- 
ing by her vocal and instrumental music, being 
a fine performer, and having a bird-like voice 
which never failed to charm all who heard her 
songs, whether scientific, pathetic, or comic. 
Mr. Eichards was devoted to music, and had a 
voice of wonderful scope and strength, singing 
by note any part with perfect ease. He and 
Eobina sang much together, their music being 
classic, comic, or sacred, as most preferred. 
‘‘The Grasshopper,” an amusing parody upon 
classic music, which they sang together with 
much spirit, never failed to “bring down the 
house.” 

“Well, girls,” said Marie, when they had re- 
tired for the night, “isn’t this a fine beginning 
for our summer? I had no idea that we should 
find such congenial friends so near. I imagined 
that we would live a real wild life among the 
mountains, and ‘rough it’ all the time. I won- 
der if these nice folks will smile as graciously 
upon us when they know that we are to live in 
a double log cabin?” 

“Of course they will,” said Eobina. “They 


2 


18 


Camping on the Blue Ridge. 

are real sensible people ; and, besides, they al- 
ready know it; and Mr. David Brown, who is 
express and mail agent on the train, says that 
he is very glad of having the pleasure of see- 
ing and waving to us twice every day as he 
passes on the train. He will wave ‘how-d’-ye- 
do ’ to us, and, if we are all alive and well, we 
will wave a white flag to him. If a wild beast 
has devoured any of us, or any one has gotten 
lost, or anything is amiss, we are to wave a red 
flag of distress, and he will send us help imme- 
diately. He kindly offered to be our mail-car- 
rier, too; said that he would arrange with the 
engineer to ‘ slow up ’ in passing our cabin, so 
that he could throw off our mail ; and when we 
have letters to send, they are to be tied in a 
package to the top of a long pole and handed 
up to him.” 

“Hurrah!” cried Bosalie, “isn’t it splendid 
to be here?” 

“Yes,” said Marie, “but our cabin on the 
mountain-side will be rather different from the 
comforts here.” 

“Infinitely better, and more independent,” 
broke in Bosalie, enthusiastically. 


CHAPTER III. 


MOUNTAIN PERCH. 

O UR travellers rose early the next morning, 
and, immediately after breakfast, started 
in search of the “castle,” as they called their 
temporary cabin-home. Having secured a wa- 
gon for the transportation of boxes and trunks, 

Major W kindly sent two “trusties” 

(convicts whose time of service had almost ex- 
pired) to render any assistance necessary. 

The day was a perfect one, and, instead of 
the sense of weakness and languor which one 
feels on a hot July morning in the low country, 
the air was so cool and bracing that it gave a 
delicious strength and vigor to the whole party. 

They were told to take the old stage-road for 
one and a half miles, then take the first right- 
hand road they saw, and the distance was very 
short to the “ old stockade,” a place painfully 
familiar to many a culprit in chain and balls. 
The stage-road wound between two ranges of 
mountains, whose sides were covered with va- 


19 


20 


Camping on the Blue Ridge. 

rious kinds of evergreens, mosses, ferns, and 
lovely wild flowers of every hue. At the foot 
of one of the ranges flowed a beautiful brook 
ol transparent water, which crossed and re- 
crossed the road on its shining way, as it 
leaped over the rocks in its bed, sparkling in 
the morning sun as if loaded with diamonds. 

Sometimes the party climbed up the steep 
mountain-side to gather flowers of rare beauty ; 
sometimes they crossed the stream by jumping 
from one to another of the smooth rocks which 
raised their heads above the water, stopping 
frequently to bathe their foreheads in the de- 
lightfully cool water, and to gather the long, 
green moss which, in many places, covered the 
stones which formed the bed of the stream. 

Robina, always more thoughtful than the 
other two girls, walked quietly most of the way 
by her father and little Edwin, though she en- 
'joyed none the less the beauties of nature, 
which were spread in rich profusion around 
them. Suddenly they heard three loud cheers 
from Marie and Rosalie, who had walked more 
rapidly than the others, and, turning a sharp 
curve in the road, they caught sight of a small 


Mountain Perch. 


21 


house perched upon the mountain-side about 
one hundred yards above them. Again the 
joyous shout echoed from the everlasting hills, 
“Hurrah for our mountain home!” 

“Is that the house, John?” inquired Mr. 
Richards, of one of the convicts. 

“Yes, sir,” answered the tall, kindly-looking 
young man; “that was the captain’s house, 
and this old one down here,” pointing to a 
long, barn-like building near where they were 
standing, “is where we convicts were kept until 
about five months ago, when we were moved 
further up on the mountain to be nearer our 
work on the railroad. There were two other 
long houses like this one, which were moved 
to the other stockade.” 

“ How many of you were here ? ” asked Ro- 
bina. 

“About five hundred, ma’am ; but lots of the 
poor fellows died who came from the low 
country, for it is awful cold up here in the win- 
ter.” 

“John,” said Mr. Richards, in a kind, pity- 
ing tone, “did you ever think that those who 
were left are spared in God’s mercy, that they 


22 


Camping on the Blue Ridge. 

may have time to repent of sin and learn to 
love Jesns? I am going to preach to you all 
every Sabbath morning, and I hope that many 
of you may be led by God’s Spirit to love and 
trust the Saviour, who gave his life to save 
you.” 

“ Oh ! Mr. Bichards,” exclaimed the poor 
man, “you don’t mean to say that Christ died 
for such fellows as we all are, do you? ” 

“Yes, my friend, that is just what I mean,” 
he replied, speaking with much earnestness. 
“No one is too great a sinner for Jesus to save, 
for he says, ‘ I came not to call the righteous, 
but sinners to repentance.’ I want you to re- 
member, John, that, no matter what you have 
done, or how you are living now, Jesus loves 
you, and that he died to save even the chief of 
sinners. How are we to get our things up to 
that house yonder?” inquired Mr. Bichards. 

“We fellows will carry them up on our 
backs, sir,” John answered, he being spokes- 
man for both. “ Jim and I can carry up the 
smallest box while you all unpack the other 
things and fix them up in bundles for us.” 

As Marie and Bosalie were already in the 


Mountain Perch. 


23 


cabin, sweeping vigorously with brooms taken 
up from Henry’s, Mr. Richards and Robina 
went to work as directed, and the empty house 
soon began to assume the appearance of a 
home. The empty boxes were turned up on 
end, shelves nailed in them, and, with curtains 
quite artistically arranged over them, formed 
dressing-table and bouffet. 

“ Be sure to put our china, silver, and cut- 
glass where they will show to the best advant- 
age,” laughingly suggested Marie. 

“What shall we do for chairs,” asked Ro- 
bina, “and a table to eat on, too?” 

“There is a rough table and some benches 
down yonder at the old stockade,” said John. 
“ If you would be willing to use them, and will 
give us some soap and rags, Jim and I will 
scour them clean and nice for you.” 

“We will be very much obliged to you,” said 
Robina, in a kind voice, which was evidently 
much appreciated by the poor, disgraced young 
men, who retired to the foot of the hill, armed 
with soap and rags for their work of scouring. 

“You see, girls,” said Mr. Richards, “the 
Lord has given us more to do here than sim- 


24 


Camping on the Blue Ridge. 

ply to rusticate and enjoy ourselves. Let us 
all seek earnestly to help these poor convicts 
in every way possible.” 

“Yes,” said Marie, “I could not but notice 
how grateful they seemed for your kind words. 
Even that poor, brow- beaten Jim looked up 
once and smiled, until his poor, hard face 
seemed almost transformed. I never saw a 
smile make such a change before.” 

“What do you say, uncle,” asked Rosalie, 
“to our giving the men some of our lunch? 
We have quite a -supply left still.” 

“A very good idea, that, my practical girl. 
Our Saviour himself supplied the temporal 
wants of the people, not only to show his 
power, but to show his sympathy for us in all 
our wants.” 

While Robina got out the lunch, Marie and 
Rosalie went in search of fresh water, which 
John had told them they would find at a beau- 
tiful mountain-spring near by, if they would 
follow a little path around the ridge. 

“ The spring must be some distance off,” said, 
Robina, when they returned, “you were gone 
such a long time.” 


RAILROAD AT SIX POINTS 









Mountain Perch. 


25 


“No,” said Bosalie, “it is only a short dis- 
tance, but this mountain-side is so wild and 
rugged that we were out of sight twice just go- 
ing that short distance to the spring.” 

“Oh! sister,” broke in Marie, “you can’t 
imagine how beautiful that spring is up among 
the moss-covered rocks ! There are long ferns 
growing all round it, and so many lovely flow- 
ers in bloom. I think the place is beautiful 
enough for a home of the muses, and the clear, 
cold water would serve them as nectar.” 

“Now, just let me tell you,” said Mr. Bich- 
ards, with one of his genial smiles, “if you ro- 
mantic young misses do not be careful, you 
will find those rocks the home of snakes instead 
of nymphs, and they may make you sing a very 
different song from those sung by the muses.” 

“Are there any rattle-snakes here, father?” 
asked Marie. 

“Plenty of them, no doubt. But there are 
our men, and we must give them something to 
eat and let them go.” 

“ How nice and white you have scoured the 
table and benches!” said Eobina. “We are all 
much obliged to you both, and will remember 


26 


Camping on the Blue Bidge. 

your kind thoughtfulness while we are using 
them. I hope we will be able to do something 
for you some time.” 

When Mr. Richards had paid them liberally 
for their help, and given them a good lunch, 
they seemed very grateful ; but when he shook 
hands with each, and bade them good-bye 
with a few kind words, their eyes filled with 
tears, and they seemed unable to speak. 

As they started up the mountain they passed 
little Edwin, who held out his hand with the 
loving confidence of a child, saying, “I want 
you to love Jesus, he is so good; and I am go- 
ing to ask him to make you good, too.” 

“All right, little boss. We surely do need 
somebody to pray for us, and he is more apt to 
hear your prayers than those of bigger folks.” 

They climbed the mountain in silence until 
they reached the railroad, then stopped, turned, 
and looked down on the little cabin a hundred 
yards below them. 

“I say, Jim,” said John, “did you ever see 
such kind people ? ” 

“Yes,” said Jim, heaving a deep sigh, while 
an expression of intense sadness crossed his 


Mountain Perch. 


27 


face, “I have known just such good, kind peo- 
ple; but, oh!” — clasping his hand to his heart 
as if seized with violent pain — “ I cannot tell 
you about it now ; it will kill me ; some other 
time I will tell you about it. Did you hear 
what that sweet little boy said? God pity 
me ! ” he exclaimed, looking up toward heaven 
in anguish. “Oh! that I could be good and 
innocent again as that little boy is!” 


CHAPTEE IV. 


CAMP LIFE. 

“ 1 OOD morning, young ladies ! ” said Mr. 

VIT" Eichards, the morning after their arrival, 
when the three girls made their appearance on 
the back porch, “I hope none of you feel in- 
jured by early rising ; do you know it is nine 
o’clock?” 

“Nine o’clock!” echoed the girls, “you must 
be joking, the sun is just rising! ” 

“ See for yourselves,” said Mr. Eichards, 
holding out his watch for inspection, “you 
forgot how high these mountains rise on all 
sides, except at the ‘Gap’ through which we 
came here, so it is nine o’clock before Old Sol 
shows his face above their tops.” 

“Hurrah!” cried Marie, “I call this fine, I 
think I never before slept as sweetly as I did 
last night upon our bed of green leaves ; don’t 
you suppose Adam and Eve had beds like ours, 
father?” 

“Perhaps so,” said Mr. Eichards, “this is 
28 


Camp Life. 


29 


certainly a delightful place to sleep, but I feel 
an ‘aching void’ which makes me think that it 
is probably a fine place to sharpen the appe- 
tite, too; who is to be our cook this morn- 
ing?” 

“ I am cook to-day,” said Rosalie, “ and it is 
well perhaps that this fine mountain air does 
sharpen the appetite, for I fear I shall not be 
able to prepare anything very tempting, as the 
only cooking apparatus we find is a large old- 
fashioned oven with a piece of sheet-iron for a 
top” 

But Rosalie was a first-rate little housekeeper, 
without a particle of back-down in her composi- 
tion, and she went to work with a will, making 
the best of everything and joking over each 
new inconvenience as it arose. In a very short 
time breakfast was prepared, and eaten with 
much relish by all the party, immediately after 
which they gathered around the family altar, 
and those grand old hills must have felt like 
breaking forth into singing, and the trees like 
clapping their hands, when those sweet songs 
of praise floated out upon the air. 

The party were soon thrown into quite a 


30 


Campmg on the Blue Ridge . 

state of excitement by hearing the distant 
rumble of the approaching train. All ran out 
“ like regular mountaineers,” as Marie said, to 
see the train pass above them. True to his 
promise, Mr. Brown waved a salute, and re- 
ceived cheers and waves in return. 

“Look!” said Bobina, “he has thrown off 
something, too.” 

With such a good excuse, they all started to 
the railroad, which, though only a hundred 
yards from the cabin, required some time for 
the ascent, as it was a steep climb straight up 
the mountain-side. When they were about 
half-way up, all stopped to gaze at the novel 
sight before them. The smoke from the train 
was pouring out of the “Lick Log” tunnel, 
looking as if a beautiful cloud might have 
dropped from the blue sky to float a few mo- 
ments over the grand old mountain, and then 
lose itself among the ferns and flowers. When 
the railroad was reached, the mail was eagerly 
examined. Among the letters was a note for 
Bobina from Miss Brown, which proved very 
interesting. 

“Hurrah!” said Bobina, “we are all invited 


Camp Life. 31 

to a social tea-drinking 10 -morrow at Mr. 
Brown’s ! ” 

“How delightful that will be!” exclaimed 
the other girls, “we did not expect such plea- 
sures as that up here.” 

“No,” said Mr. Richards, “our cabin down 
yonder looks as if it might be outside of the 
bounds of civilization.” 

“ Look, uncle,” said Rosalie, “ at this ex- 
emplification of the truthful old saying, ‘There 
are two sides to every question.’ From this 
side our castle looks as if it were stuck down 
in a cove, and from the stockade it looks like 
a veritable mountain perch.” 

“Father,” broke in Marie, “now that we are 
this high up, suppose we go on to the top of 
the mountain, it is just a mile from here.” 

“ I am ready for anything that is agreeable 
to the party,” said Mr. Richards, and as all 
were eager for the walk, they started off, 
Rosalie and Marie taking the lead as usual. 
They had not gone far, when the good man 
stood as if spell -bound, gazing in horror at the 
reckless girls. “ My ! ” he exclaimed, “ I am 
thankful they are over safely! ” 


32 Camping on the Blue Ridge. 

As they looked back at him in triumph he 
called to them : “ Girls, I shall have to make you 
walk behind if you do not promise to go more 
slowly and carefully over these dangerous tres- 
tles.” 

“ Why, father,” said Marie, “ we are not at 
all afraid ; but if you prefer it, we will go over 
more slowly hereafter.” 

It was indeed quite a risk to walk across the 
trestles; some of them were more than one 
hundred feet high and several hundred yards 
across. Deep gorges between the mountains 
were built up with trestle-work, which had not 
then been filled in, so that the only way foot- 
passengers could cross was by stepping from 
sill to sill, where a misstep would precipitate 
them into the chasm below. Mr. Richards 
almost hesitated to take little Edwin over, lest 
he should become dizzy, but the brave little 
fellow felt no fear while holding his father’s 
hand. Why cannot grown-up children cling 
as trustingly to the heavenly Father’s hand? 
Just beyond the trestle was a long tunnel, 
which made such a curve that the light at one 
end could not be seen at the other. It was so 


Camp Life. 38 

dark that even the venturesome girls were quite 
satisfied to fall back with Mr. Richards and feel 
their way over the sills. The walk was so wild 
and strange, and the scenery so varied and 
beautiful, that the top of the mountain was 
reached sooner than they had anticipated. 
There they found the stockade, where five hun- 
dred convicts were confined at night after each 
day’s work on the famous Swanannoa tunnel. 
Captain Smith, who commanded the stockade, 
introduced himself, was very polite, and offered 
kindly to have the party taken through the tun- 
nel any time they wished to do so. That pleasure 
they postponed with thanks until another day. 

The sight of so many men and boys in prison 
stripes, wearing chains and balls, and guarded 
by armed officers, was a sad one to the whole 
party. Little Edwin drew close to his father 
and whispered, “Oh, father! I am so sorry for 
all these poor men.” 

It was touching to see the change of expres- 
sion upon the hardened faces of the convicts 
from stolid indifference to pleasant surprise, as 
Mr. Richards greeted each squad with a genial 
smile and “ Good morning, boys.” 

3 


34 Camping on the Blue Ridge. 

Having decided to return by the old stage 
road, the party had just started down the 
mountain when they met one of the convicts, 
whom they recognized as the John who had 
helped them on their arrival at the cabin. 
Without waiting to return the cordial saluta- 
tion of the party, he exclaimed, earnestly : “I 
am very glad you came up, Mr. Eichards. 
Won’t you please go and see poor Jim? He 
was taken with a strange spell last night, and 
has been awful bad off ever since. He keeps 
saying over the words of the verse you told us.” 

“ I will be glad to go ; take me to him,” said 
Mr. Eichards. Then turning to the girls, he 
said, “You can amuse yourselves over on the 
hillside until I get back.” 

“This is but a poor, dirty place to ask you 
into, Mr. Eichards,” said John, “ but I guess it 
is as good as we deserve.” 

When Jim saw Mr. Eichards standing by 
him he turned his face to the wall and wept, 
but, reassured by the kind voice and soothing 
touch of the hand laid gently upon his aching 
head, he extended his hand to Mr. Eichards, 
but his face wore a look of such misery as one 


35 


Camp Life. 

seldom sees. Then he said, with much emo- 
tion : “ It is very kind of you, Mr. Eichards, to 
come to this disgusting place to see me. Oh!” 
he continued, with a shudder, “how dreadful 
it smells ; what would my mother think to see 
me here!” Losing all self-control, he sobbed 
like a child, his whole frame shaking with the 
violence of his emotion. Mr. Eichards let him 
find relief in tears a few moments, while he si- 
lently lifted his heart in prayer that the Spirit 
might teach him what to say. He then told 
him the “old, old story” in the most simple, 
earnest language. Jim listened eagerly to 
every word, saying, with a deep sigh, “ Oh, 
how good it all sounds now ! I would not listen 
to it long ago, when my beautiful mother tried 
to teach me of Jesus and his love, and it is too 
late now — too late now ! ” 

Very tenderly the good minister talked with 
the suffering boy, listened with interest to the 
sad story of his blighted life, and urged him to 
look to the Saviour for the only true comfort in 
sorrow. After reading a short passage of 
Scripture, and making an earnest prayer in his 
behalf, Mr. Eichards bade him farewell, pro- 


36 


Camping on the Blue Bulge. 

mising to see him again the next day, and went 
directly to the office of Captain Smith, telling 
him he feared that Jim was seriously sick and 
needed immediate medical attention. Captain 
Smith was much interested, said Jim was his 
special favorite, and was so trustworthy that he 
often released him from hard work upon the 
road to have his company and assistance when 
needing help. “ It is my opinion,” said the 
captain, with much warmth, “ that that boy is 
more sinned against than sinning, and has no 
more business to be wearing those old stripes 
than I have. I have seen him severely tested, 
and would trust his word as soon as I would 
my own. If he is going to be very sick he shall 
not stay where he is. I will be responsible for 
him, and bring him into the back room of my 
office here, where I can give him proper atten- 
tion.” 

Feeling sure that the sufferer would be kindly 
cared for, Mr. Richards returned with his party 
to their cabin home. Faithful to his promise, 
Mr. Richards went the next morning to look 
after Jim, whom he found suffering in a way 
which confirmed his fears that the disease was 


37 


Camp Life. 

typhoid fever. The physician of the stockade 
was in attendance. Captain Smith had made 
him as comfortable as was possible in his sur- 
roundings, and every necessary attention was 
kindly given. The poor boy was very glad to 
see Mr. Richards, and even the godless captain 
and physician seemed to be reassured by his 
presence. Why do those who scorn the advice 
and shun the company of a minister when in 
health call for him in times of sickness and 
danger? Jim felt that Mr. Richards was the 
only one who could help him now. His gen- 
uine sympathy and sincere interest had touched 
his heart and made him willing to talk freely to 
him of his past life. When there were no 
others present he said, with tears, “ Oh, Mr. 
Richards, I long for my mother now more than 
I have ever done since I left her. If I could 
only have her soft hand on my head and know 
that she would forgive all my wrong-doings, it 
would take such a heavy burden off my heart.” 

“ Let me write to her, Jim ; I know she 
would forgive all, and gladly come to you now. 
I will tell her how sorry you are, and that you 
were not as guilty as was supposed.” 


38 


Camping on the Blue Bidge. 

“ Oh, no! you must not write to my mother ; 
she thinks me dead, and I had better be dead 
than awaken the fearful sorrow which so nearly 
destroyed her reason and life. I have heard of 
her, but with my changed name she has had no 
trace of me since the evil hour when I yielded 
to the entreaties of wicked companions and 
left my beautiful home in the sunny South. I 
have told you how I wandered from place to 
place, until I have come to what you see me 
now, wearing the stripes and chains. Oh ! if 
there is forgiveness with God for such a sinner 
as I am, tell me how I can obtain it. Tell me 
how I can find peace for my sin-burdened 
heart, and if my life is spared I will yet make 
amends to my dear mother for all the sorrow I 
have caused her.” 

With gentle, soothing words of the love of 
Jesus, Mr. Richards quieted the excited suf- 
ferer, repeated some comforting texts of Scrip- 
ture, and, with a warm hand-shake, bade him 
good-bye. 


CHAPTER Y. 


TEA-DRINKING AT MR. BROWNS. 

“ ~\I OU must not forget, father,” said Marie, 
-L “that we are invited this afternoon to 
play croquet and take tea at Mr. Brown’s. I 
hope there is nothing to prevent your going 
with us.” 

“I am promising myself the pleasure of the 
visit,” said Mr. Richards, “ but I have several 
letters to write before starting, which must be 
ready for the evening mail.” 

“We must start quite early, father,” said 
Robina, “so that we may walk leisurely and 
have time to gather flowers and ferns by the 
way.” 

“I think I can safely promise not to keep 
you waiting,” said her father, with a merry 
twinkle in his eye, as he glanced at the tenderly- 
loved daughter, who not unfrequently kept him 
waiting. 

In a short time all were ready for the walk, 
and it is needless to say were in the gayest of 
39 


40 


Camping on the Blue Ridge. 

spirits. As the girls left the house, Mr. Richards 
looked at each one with genuine satisfaction, 
and they did look lovely in their nicely-fitting 
pure white muslins. There was nothing of the 
artificial society girl about them, their cheeks 
were as free from paint as a tea-rose, yet as 
delicately tinted, and their 6yes sparkled with 
the innocent mirth and happiness that filled 
their pure young hearts. Marie and Rosalie 
took the lead as usual, running down the steep 
mountain-side so rapidly that a fall at the bot- 
tom seemed inevitable, but they reached the 
stream safely, cleared it at a bound and looked 
back in triumph at the more dignified pedes- 
trians. 

“Girls,” said Robina,” you are getting ex- 
ceedingly wild ; you must promise me to be 
more dignified, and behave nicely while you 
are among those strangers at Henry’s.” 

“Indeed we will,” said Rosalie, “we intend 
to be as still as mice, and fix our mouths firm 
like this,” screwing her mouth and putting on 
such a look as to provoke a hearty laugh from 
all. 

“If you irrepressibles do not behave well, 


Tea-drinking at Mr. Brown's. 41 

we will have to leave you at home the next 
time.” 

“We will not disgrace you, or ourselves 
either, sister,” said Marie, “ but it is so beau- 
tiful up here and this mountain air is so deli- 
cious and bracing that ‘I’m just spilin’,’ as Jim 
Fenton said, to run and scream all the time.” 

The afternoon was beautiful, and, though it 
was the middle of July, the air was so balmy, 
and the mountain breezes so refreshing, that the 
walk from the “castle” to Henry’s along the 
shady road was not at all fatiguing. The 
young folks climbed the mountain-side for 
ferns and wild flowers, and adorned themselves 
with wreaths and bouquets. 

“Sister,” said Marie, “they might mistake 
us for wood nymphs. Oh, my! ” she exclaimed, 
before Eobina had time to answer her remark, 
“how lovely you do look! the walk has given 
you such a bright color and those flowers in 
your hair are very becoming.” 

“Isn’t it a pity everybody could not look 
at your big sis through your glasses?” said 
Eobina. 

Marie was an ardent admirer of her sister, 


42 Camping on the Blue Ridge . 

and so were many others, for Hobina was not 
only very handsome, but such charming com- 
pany that she never failed to attract attention 
wherever she went. Yet there was so much 
beauty of character that admiration never 
seemed to excite her vanity. The evening 
proved a delightful one 'with the friends at 
Henry’s, for though our party enjoyed the wild 
camp-life at the “ castle,” they appreciated none 
the less the congenial companionship of cultured 
friends. 

“Oh, what blooming young ladies!” said 
Mr. Brown, as the three girls approached the 
veranda, where Miss Ella Brown and her 

brother, Miss Nannie, and Mr. Ned W 

were awaiting their arrival. 

“See what beautiful flowers our ‘ castle’ af- 
fords,” said Hobina, gracefully waving her large 
bouquet of ferns and wild flowers, as she pre- 
sented them to the young ladies, saying that as 
they, too, were mountain girls they must adorn 
themselves for the evening with wild flowers. 

Glancing at the rosy cheeks of the visitors, 
one of the gentlemen gallantly remarked that it 
was quite evident the “castle” could furnish 


Tea-drinking at Mr. Brown's. 43 

roses of rare loveliness and beauty, in addition 
to more common flowers. 

After spending some time in merry conversa- 
tion a match game of croquet was proposed, 
and as there were only seven young people 
they insisted that Mr. Richards should take a 
hand, which he willingly consented to do, being 
quite fond of the game and a skilful player. 
His tact and love for young folks, added to 
their pleasure, rather than acted as a restraint 
upon their enjoyments. The games were quite 
exciting, but the players found time for lively 
chatting while waiting for their turns to play, 
and our young girls found opportunities which 
they never neglected for saying earnest words, 
too, where they might do good. What a pity 
it is that all young ladies do not use the influ- 
ence they might exert upon the young men, if 
they only had the moral courage to speak words 
in season to them as earnestly as they speak 
on ordinary topics. 

“This is a grand road, Mr. Brown,” said 
Robina, “ but it must be as dangerous as it is 
beautiful.” 

“It is,” replied the young man. “I was 


44 


Camping on the Blue Ridge . 

standing yesterday upon the steps of the pas- 
senger-coach, had been there some little time, 
and without any special reason for doing so, 
went into the car near the ‘ Lick Log ’ tunnel, 
and had scarcely taken my seat when a huge 
rock crushed down upon the step where I had 
been standing and snapped it off as if it had 
been glass. But for having left the step, I 
would doubtless have been killed instantly.” 

“Oh!” said Bobina, shuddering, “what a 
narrow escape you made! you must certainly 
have been spared for some great good.” 

“I do not know about that,” said Mr. Brown, 
“I would like to think I shall be useful in this 
world, and I am very sure I should not have 
been ready for the next one, if that rock had 
sent me to it.” 

“I am sorry to hear you say that,” said 
Bobina. 

“Well, I have a plenty of company,” con- 
tinued her companion, “for there is not a man 
upon this road who is a Christian, from the 
presideht to the man who fires the engine. It 
seems rather singular, for if any road ought to 
have good men on it this is surely the one.” 


LICK LOG TUNNEL 




Tea-drinking at Mr. Brown's. 45 

“ Hurrah!” cried Ned, “that winds up the 
game and we’ve beat you bad! I hope you 
folks won’t grieve too much over your defeat 
to enjoy your supper. I hear the bell now.” 

Mrs. Brown entertained delightfully, and 
certainly nothing prevented our players from 
doing full justice to the elegant repast spread 
before them. Miss Ella Brown was one of the 
class of genial, attractive young girls who know 
how to make visitors feel comfortably easy and 
at home. She excelled herself that summer 
afternoon, and “the feast of reason and flow of 
soul” added much to the pleasure of the 
mountain tea-drinking. 

“You say you haven’t been to Bound Knob, 

Miss Marie?” asked Mr. Ned W , the 

irrepressible young college student, who said 
the most common-place things in such an 
amusing way that laughing was a necessity 
with his listeners. 

“No,” said Marie, “we have had so much to 
entertain us nearer home thus far, that we still 
have that trip as an anticipated pleasure.” 

“Then you have not visited the C Falls 

either, I suppose?” 


46 


Camping on the Blue Ridge. 

“No, we have not been to the Falls, and are 
really such ignoramuses as not even to know 
where they are.” 

“Well! well!” said Ned, “I have lived to 
meet one young lady who acknowledges that 
she does not know something which is a well- 
known fact to a college boy! I propose that 
we show our appreciation of her honesty by 
making a party, and having a picnic at the 
Falls in her honor.” 

“Oh, thank you very much!” said Marie, 
“both for your compliment to myself at the 
expense of my sex, and for the proposed jaunt; 
do let’s go next Thursday, that will be my 
birthday, and I think it would be splendid to 
have the important day celebrated in such a 
way. I am very partial to nice picnics, and, 
of course, one in which you were interested 
could not be otherwise than very fine.” 

“That is a self-evident fact,” said Ned, “so 
it is proposed and seconded that we have an 
uncommonly nice picnic next Thursday at 
the Falls in honor of Miss Marie’s birthday. 
The next subject for discussion will be horses 
for the trip, as no buggy could possibly pass 


Tea-drinking at Mr. Brown's. 47 

over some parts of the road. I shall have to 
starve my pony several days before we go or 
he could not squeeze through some narrow 
places in the road.” 

“The rest of our party will be here before 
that time,” said Mr. Richards, “ and my horse 
can take two if necessary; and I know my 
nephew, James Burnett, will want to be one of 
our party.” 

“Our party will not be complete unless our 
champion croquet player goes to chaperon us,” 
said Miss Ella. 

“ If you intend to include old folks, I should 
greatly enjoy the trip,” said the good man. 

“ You are older than the rest of us, but you 
are so bright and happy and your heart seems 
so young, that we are not afraid of you as we 
are of most ministers.” 

“You are the first preacher I ever saw,” said 
Ned, “who did not awe me by his solemn, 
sanctimonious air; they all seem to be think- 
ing when they look at me, ‘it is a shame for 
you to make such a monkey of yourself, Ned, 
such a sinner as you are has no right to laugh.’ 
But you are real jolly, Mr. Richards, I love to 


48 


Camping on the Blue Ridge. 

see you laugh because you don’t seem to think 
it is a sin to smile.” 

The company smiled audibly at Ned’s re- 
mark, and then discussed the picnic. Ned 
volunteered to carry the rations, saying that 
picnic meant picking up lots of nick-nacks to 
eat, and he wanted a plentiful supply of good 
things prepared. 

After all arrangements were completed, Mrs. 
Brown asked for some music, and the time sped 
rapidly away until the “castle” party rose to 
return to their mountain home, cordially thank- 
ing their kind entertainers for the delightful 
evening. 

“Don’t forget that you are to preach for us 
next Sabbath afternoon, Mr. Richards,” said 
Mrs. Brown. “I hope your whole party can 
come down with you.” 


CHAPTER VI. 

THE MORE THE MERRIER . 

“”X^ONDER they come! ” shouted little Ed- 

J- win, who had been watching the gap in 
the mountain to catch the first glimpse of the 
rest of the party who were expected that day. 

This shout was the signal for three cheers 
from the inmates of the “castle,” and, before 
the echoes had died away from the mountain- 
sides, they had all rushed down the ridge to 
welcome the new-comers and escort them up 
the steep ascent. 

The girls had arranged large bouquets of 
ferns and wild flowers in both rooms, and had 
made the “castle” look as neat and home-like 
as possible. 

“Here, auntie,” said Rosalie, “just stand in 
this door and look round at the beautiful view. 

* Isn’t it lovely? ” 

“Yes,” said Mrs. Richards, “we will have a 
continual feast for the eyes here. Those ever- 
lasting hills always recall that beautiful text, 
4 49 


50 Camping on the Blue Ridge. 

‘As the mountains are round about J erusalem, 
so the Lord is round about his people from 
henceforth, even for evermore.’ ” 

It took only a short time to introduce the 
the new-comers to the premises. 

“Well,” said James, “this is the ‘castle,’ is 
it? I think it will require quite a stretch of 
imagination to give to ‘ airy nothing a local 
habitation and a name,’ if we furnish this ‘ cas- 
tle’ with the necessary ‘donjon keep and 
tower.’ I suppose my room in the loft is one 
of the apartments of the tower. Hello here! 
Is this a specimen of the visitors we are ex- 
pected to receive ? ” said the young man, as he 
seized Mr. Richards’ stout walking-cane, and 
began to pound vigorously upon a snake which 
was gliding through the hall, which, with two 
rooms and “the loft,” composed the apart- 
ments of the “castle.” 

“ Horrors ! ” exclaimed Robina, growing pale 
with fright, “a snake in the house! And I am 
so much afraid of snakes ! ” 

“You need not feel obliged to faint, cousin 
mine,” said James, “for this is not a rattle- 
snake.” 


The More the Merrier . 


51 


“You must have attracted it,” said Robina, 
“for we have not seen one before since we 
came.” 

“It doubtless came to welcome us. I have 
heard of snake-charmers, and, as I always suc- 
ceed in charming the girls, I suppose I might 
attract snakes, too.” 

“Whew!” said Rosalie, “the conceit of some 
people is amazing ! ” 

“I hope I can kill a rattlesnake while we 
are up here,” said Marie. “I am just aching 
for some such adventure.” 

“My child,” said Mr. Richards, “you must 
promise me that if you see a rattlesnake while 
we are here you will not attempt to kill it, but 
get out of its way as quickly as possible. I 
have been told that we are quite near a rattle- 
snake den. One of those knobs is so infested 
with them that they are very bold all around 
us. A child of our nearest neighbor was chased 
by one for half-a-mile quite recently.” 

“Thank you for the warning, father, for I 
should certainly have attempted to kill one if 
I had seen it. Rosalie and I will be more cau- 
tious hereafter as we climb over the rocks for 
ferns and wild flowers.” 


52 Camping on the Blue Ridge . 

“Come with me, please, mother,” said little 
Edwin. “I hear the train, and I want yon to 
see how beautiful the smoke looks pouring out 
of the tunnel after the cars have passed 
through.” 

All went out on the back porch, as was their 
custom, to wave to Mr. Brown. He gave an 
extra flourish, by way of welcoming the last 
arrivals, and then threw off a large bundle of 
mail. Rosalie and Edwin climbed the moun- 
tain to the railroad to get the letters, and had 
the pleasure of seeing a long excursion-train 
pass just as they reached the top. Among the 
many passengers who had availed themselves 
of the opportunity for seeing the beautiful 
scenery along the Western North Carolina 
Railroad, Rosalie recognized a friend from 
home, who was looking out for the “castle” 
among the hills, and who cheered loudly as he 
passed in sight of it. Then, seeing Rosalie and 
Edwin near the track, he threw off a slip of 
paper upon which was written, “Look out for 
a friend from down the country.” Rosalie has- 
tened back with this item of news for the 
rest. 


The More the Merrier . 


53 


Very soon they saw Mr. Lee coming down 
the mountain, and all gave him a cordial wel- 
come. He was a noble, lovable character; and 
the hectic flush in his cheeks showed only too 
surely the signal of early death from inherited 
disease, which gave his friends a peculiarly 
tender interest in him. 

“What a lovely retreat you good friends 
have found!” he exclaimed, when the usual 
greetings had been exchanged. “You all seem 
as happy as big sunflowers, tucked away down 
here in this mountain cave.” 

“‘Down here,’ indeed!” said Rosalie. “If 
you had climbed up from the stream below us, 
I think by the time you had reached our ‘ cas- 
tle’ you would have said we were decidedly 
stuck up.” 

“Well, I hope to have the benefit of your 
mountain air for some time ; and who knows 
but it may sharpen my wits, as it seems to 
have done yours, Miss Rosalie?” 

“ I am glad to hear that you will stay in the 
mountains, Mr. Lee,” said Marie, “not insinu- 
ating that your wits need sharpening, but you 
will be near enough at Alexander’s to ride over 


54 Camping on the Blue Bulge . 

next week and join my birthday picnic party, 
and we will all be delighted to have you with 
us on that important occasion.” 

“Thank you,” said Mr. Lee; “the ride is a 
very pleasant one, and I assure you that it will 
give me great pleasure to accept your invita- 
tion.” 

“Mr. Lee,” said Edwin, “I want you to see 
our beauitful mountain spring.” 

“And I,” said Alves, “ want to show you the 
loveliest play-house you ever saw.” 

“How popular I am!” said Mr. Lee, with a 
merry twinkle in his beautiful brown eyes. 

“Yes,” said Mrs. Richards, “I put in a claim, 
too, that you dine in rustic style with us ; then 
you may enjoy at your leisure the sights round 
our mountain home.” 

The invitation was accepted, and the day 
was much enjoyed by all the party. Mr. Lee, 
when leaving, thanked Mrs. Richards for one 
of the most pleasant days he had ever spent, 
promising to see them again at the picnic. 

“How bright and happy he looks!” said Mr. 
Richards, as Mr. Lee rode away. 


The More the Merrier . 


55 


“Yes,” said Robina, “I never saw such a 
depth and softness of expression in any other 
brown eyes; but there seemed an uncommon 
brilliancy in them to-day, though at times a 
sadness which touched my heart.” 


CHAPTER VII. 


ONE SABBATH. 

‘ ‘ Peace is on the world abroad ; 

’Tis the holy peace of God.” 

HO has not felt the calm, soothing in- 



V t fluence of a beautiful Sabbath morn- 
ing? Mr. Richards always rose early on the 
Sabbath for quiet devotions, gathering bread 
from heaven, as the Israelites did, before the 
sun rose. As he looked out that bright Sab- 
bath morning upon the everlasting hills, there 
seemed to be a sacred hush, a holy calm, rest- 
ing upon everything, as if nature, free from all 
labor, had donned her fairest robes, and stood 
gazing upward to meet the approving smile of 
her God. The songs of the birds seemed full 
of richest melody, as if they would hallow the 
day with their sweetest notes of praise; and 
the good minister felt, as he had never done 
before, that there were 

“tongues in trees, books in the running brooks, 
Sermons in stones, and good in everything.” 


56 


One Sabbath. 


57 


His “ sanctum,” as he called it, was a short 
distance from the house, in a secluded spot 
where the rocks were so arranged by the Hand 
that made them, as to form a small room, where 
a shelving rock made quite a comfortable seat. 
Here Mr. Richards was within call of the 
house, but had undisturbed quiet for medita- 
tion and preparation of his sermons. 

“Who is going with me to the stockade for 
preaching this morning? ” he asked when break- 
fast was over. “I think I shall go as soon as 
we have had worship, as I must see poor Jim 
before time for preaching.” 

“I think we must all go,” said Mrs. Rich- 
ards, “this is such a delightful day, and I am 
quite rested from my trip now. But I do not 
fancy going over those high trestles, and 
through the long, dark tunnel.” 

“Let me drive you up the stage-road, auntie,” 
said James. 

“No, thank you; I much prefer walking, if 
some of you young folks will go with me.” 

“ If I give you the pleasure of my company 
around, will you go with me to see poor Jim? ” 
asked Mr. Richards. 


58 


Camping on the Blue Ridge. 

“ I will gladly go, if you think I can do him 
any good.” 

“I feel sure you can cheer and comfort him, 
my dear, for you know much better than any 
one else I know how to soothe the suffering 
and speak words in season to the sorrowing; 
so we will start as soon as possible, and let 
James bring up the others in time for the ser- 
vice. Robina,” he continued, “I think it might 
be well for you to take your guitar. We must 
do all in our power to help those poor con- 
victs, and in order to do that we must let them 
see that we think them worth helping, and are 
willing to take trouble to gratify them.” 

“Shall we take all our Moody and Sankey 
books, too, father?” said Marie. “Some of 
the poor fellows may have used them at their 
homes, and might like to sing the familiar 
hymns once more.” 

“A very good suggestion, my daughter; now, 
be sure that you are all there promptly.” 

An hour later Mr. Richards walked quietly 
into Jim’s room, greeting him kindly with the 
inquiry, “How are you this bright Sabbath 
morning ? ” 


One Sabbath . 


59 


“Much freer from pain, thank you, sir; and 
I don’t mind anything, now that I have peace 
here,” placing his hand upon his heart. 

Mr. Richards had already noticed the marked 
change in Jim’s face. The large, gray eyes 
looked up brightly now, and a new light seemed 
shining in them. The discontented expression 
of countenance had given place to a look of 
peaceful happiness which transformed his face. 

“Jim,” said Mr. Richards, “I brought Mrs. 
Richards up with me ; she is in Captain Smith’s 
office. Would you like to see her?” 

“ Oh ! yes, sir ; I would like to see a lady 
once more ; but would she be willing to come 
to see me?” 

When Jim saw the look of tender sympathy 
in Mrs. Richards’ face, he could not speak. 

She took his feebly-extended hand in one of 
hers, while she laid the other gently upon his 
fever-heated forehead, and said, softly, “The 
blessing of your mother’s God rest upon you, 
Jim. Mr. Richards has told me that you have 
given your heart to the Saviour, and learned to 
love and trust him, and I am so glad.” 

Knowing that the sick boy was too weak to 


60 Camping on the Blue Ridge. 

talk, or even to listen, long at a time, the good 
minister read a short passage of Scripture, 
made an earnest prayer, and then rose to leave 
the room. 

“I don’t know how to thank you both,” said 
Jim, almost choked with emotion, as he looked 
longingly at Mrs. Richards. “Your visit makes 
me feel almost as if I had seen my own preci- 
ous mother.” 

“Would you like to have me come again?” 

“I will be so glad if you will,” he said. 

“That poor, sick boy has gentle blood in his 
veins, Captain Smith,” said Mrs. Richards, 
when they reached his office again. 

“ That is just what I have said and believed. 
I never did think that he deserved to be here, 
and I am very glad to see him looking happy 
for the first time since he came. If it is the 
religion you all teach that has made such a 
change in him, I wish that some of the rest of 
us had some of it, too.” 

“If you were really willing to accept a gos- 
pel which must change your heart and life, as 
well as give you joy and peace of conscience, 
it would be yours, Captain Smith,” said Mr. 


One Sabbath. 


61 


Richards, “for he is able and willing to save 
to the uttermost all who come to God by him.” 

“No doubt, what you say is true, but I have 
no time for such things now.” Then, glad to 
change the subject, he asked, “How do you 
think Jim is getting on ? ” 

“He seems to be resting more quietly than 
when I saw him yesterday, but I fear there are 
dangerous symptoms developed since then. 
What does the doctor think of him ? ” 

“ He says that Jim will have a hard pull for 
his life,” said the captain, looking really dis- 
tressed. “But there is the bell ringing for ser- 
vice. Walk this way, sir, and I will show you 
the best arrangement that I have been able to 
make for you.” 

As the other members of the family from the 
“castle” had arrived, the whole party followed 
Captain Smith into the high enclosure, where 
chairs had been placed for them under a large 
oak tree. The prison-doors were unlocked, and 
the convicts were allowed to come out into the 
open space, which some of them declined do- 
ing, unwilling that the ladies of the party 
should see their degradation. Mr. Richards 


62 


Camping on the Blue Bulge. 

took his position where he could command a 
view of those inside as well as of those in the 
yard, and such a crowd as it was! Long-in- 
dulged sin had left deep traces upon many of 
the countenances; some looked utterly hard- 
ened, while others had a sullen look of misery 
and shame which was pitiful to see. But the 
very unusual occurrence of preaching had ex- 
cited a look of expectancy on almost every 
face, which was helpful to the good minister. 

When the repulsive-looking crowd had set- 
tled themselves, some on the benches, and 
others sitting on the ground or leaning against 
the wall, Mr. Richards walked round, and, with 
a kindly greeting to each group, offered the 
little books to any who could read and would 
like to sing, which seemed quite gratifying to 
them. He selected such hymns as were most 
likely to be familiar, and was pleased to see 
how many of the convicts joined in singing 
them, seeming, for the time, to forget their 
shame and misery, as they waked the echoes 
of the mountains with sounds which had never 
been heard there before. 

After the singing of several hymns, followed 


One Sabbath. 


63 


the sermon, full of gospel truth, so simply told, 
and with so much feeling and earnestness, that 
all listened with undivided attention. The 
earnest pleading with God for forgiveness of 
past sins, and for grace to enable his hearers 
to resolve, with God’s help, to live better lives 
in future, touched many hard hearts, which 
had been supposed to be past feeling. 

When the services were over, and before the 
guards had marched the convicts back into the 
prison, John begged Captain Smith to allow 
them to stay a little longer, if Miss Eobina 
would be so kind as to sing a few more pieces 
for them. Both requests were granted, and, 
with a silent prayer for assistance, Bobina’s 
sweet voice rose full and clear, and every word 
was heard distinctly. As the pathos of her 
voice and eyes was added to the words of 
pleading, tears were falling freely over hard- 
ened faces, from eyes unused to weeping ; and 
the light-hearted captain felt a choking sensa- 
tion quite unusual for him. 

Before the party left the stockade, Captain 
Smith thanked them warmly for both services, 
and requested them to spend every Sabbath 


64 


Camping on the Blue Ridge. 

morning in the same way during their stay in 
the mountains. 

In the afternoon, Mr. Bichards and the 
young people went down to Henry’s, where 
the service, held in the large dining-hall, was 
in striking contrast to that of the morning, 
being attended by quite an assemblage of cul- 
tured people. 


CHAPTER VIII. 


BIRTHDAY PICNIC. 

“ ~Y TTHAT a lovely day you have ! ” said 
V T Mrs. Richards, as she put her arms 
around Marie and gave her seventeen birthday 
kisses. “ God bless my darling, and give you 
many happy returns, making your life bright 
and joyous, with only such clouds across your 
pathway as he shall see best to make, the 
brightness more appreciated when they are 
withdrawn.” 

Is there anything so sweet as a mother’s kiss 
and blessing, and a mother’s loving words of 
encouragement and counsel ? 

“ Just see, mother, how gloriously beautiful 
the mountains look ! ” said Marie. “ I think I 
never before saw clouds floating so beautifully 
over these grand old hills. When I first waked 
they were entirely hidden from view, and I 
wondered if we were to have a gloomy day for 
our trip, but as I watched them, the clouds 
began to ascend, becoming thinner and thinner, 
65 


66 


Camping on the Blue Ridge. 

until they were gorgeously tinged by the rising 
sun. See how they seem to be melting away 
now before that bright flood of sunlight ! ” 

“It is very beautiful, my child ; let it im- 
press itself upon your memory with this sweet 
truth, that clouds of doubt and sin and care 
will all disappear as quickly if we but let the 
sun of righteousness shine into our hearts. 
Indeed, they would never ^ome if he were 
always shining there.” 

“Thank you, precious mother, for the sweet 
birthday lesson,” said Marie, with another kiss 
and embrace. “ I think it must be nearly time 
for us to start, as the sun doesn’t rise here until 
nearly nine o’clock.” 

The girls, James, and Mr. Richards, with a 
basket of tempting viands, were at the stage 
road at the appointed time to meet the rest of 
the party for the picnic. Besides Miss Nan- 
nie W and the versatile Ned, Miss Ella 

Brown and her brother, there was also a Mr. 
Jones in the party, who joined them as they 
reached the road, and seemed to be the special 
escort of Miss Nannie. They had just ex- 
changed cordial greetings and finished making 


Birthday Picnic . 


67 


pleasant birthday wishes for Marie, when Mr. 
Lee rode up, according to promise. In answer 
to inquiries for his health, he said that he had 
not felt as strong in several years as in the few 
days since he reached the mountains. 

“Forward! ride ! ” said Ned. “Mr. Richards 
and I being the most dignified of the party, 
will show you young people the way to go. Be 
sure you follow where we lead.” 

It does not require much to provoke the risi- 
bles of such a merry party, who laughed heart- 
ily at the idea of frolicsome Ned being dignified. 

Rosalie and Marie rode the same horse in 
good, old-fashioned style, with Mr. David 
Brown to watch over them ; next came Robina 
and Mr. Lee, followed by Miss Ella and James, 
with Miss Nannie and Mr. Jones to bring up 
the rear. All were bright as the sunbeams 
which played hide-and-seek between the flowers 
and ferns, and their laughter rang out as mer- 
rily as the musical ripple of the clear stream 
which leaped and danced over the rocks by the 
roadside. The scenery was all that the most 
romantic heart could have desired. The road 
was generally wide enough for two to ride 


68 Camping on the Blue Ridge. 

abreast, but often grew so narrow that, as Ned 
had said, his pony could scarcely squeeze 
through. In one place the path lay over a 
ledge of rocks with the mountain rising pre- 
cipitously on one side, and a chasm so deep on 
the other side that one misstep would have 
precipitated horse and rider to certain death 
upon the rocks beneath. After passing safely 
over the dangerous place each one felt like 
taking a long breath of thankfulness. Their 
first stop was made for the benefit of the horses, 
where a beautiful mountain stream crossed the 
road, inviting both riders and horses to par- 
take of its cooling draughts. 

“What do you think of the trip thus far, 
Miss Marie ? ” said Ned, riding up beside her. 

“ Oh ! it is charming ! I couldn’t ask any- 
thing more pleasant.” 

“ I like it right well, too ; but there must be 
some startling adventure, or it will become too 
tame. You are the person, Miss Marie, to get 
up some excitement in celebration of your 
birthday. Oh! I have it! ” he continued ; “do 
you see that tree which has fallen across the 
creek? You and Miss Rosalie make your 


Birthday Picnic. 69 

horse leap over, then you fall off and get nearly 
drowned (the water is not more than six inches 
deep). I will be the hero and plunge in to save 
your life. How would that do ? ” 

“I am afraid, Mr. Ned, that the exploit 
would cast such a damper upon our feelings 
that we might fail to enjoy the romantic part 
of it.” 

“Whew!” said Ned; “ listen to her ! Well, 
if you will not try it, I will. I know my pony 
can clear that log ; but if I should happen to 
fall off, you are to get greatly excited, and call 
it the ‘ Lover’s Leap.’ Here goes ! ” he ex- 
claimed, and, giving the pony, which was well 
trained in such tricks, a sharp cut, he was over 
with a bound and a tremendous splash. 

Loud hurrahs rose from the party, who did 
not know the next moment whether to laugh or 
to scream, as they saw the pony give a fearful 
plunge and then start off, kicking and prancing, 
as it rushed up the mountain at a most alarm- 
ing speed. 

“ What on earth is the matter ? ” shouted a 
chorus of voices, as Ned dashed past them, not 
sitting erect like the hero of whom he had 


70 Camping on the Blue Ridge. 

spoken, but clinging to the neck of the now in- 
furiated pony. 

“Yellow-jackets! Only that and nothing 
more,” answered Ned, not too much alarmed to 
see the ludicrous side of the performance. 

Nothing could prevent peals of laughter from 
the party now. 

“Away goes Gilpin and away goes Gilpin’s 
hat and heels,” cried James. 

“ Laughing is catching,” said Marie ; “ and I 
suggest that we move a little faster from this 
vfcinity, or some of us may soon be touched 
with a fellow-feeling which may make us much 
less inclined to laugh.” 

They rode some distance before overtaking 
Ned, who was sitting on a rock by the roadside 
rubbing his pony’s swollen legs. 

“Halloa, John Gilpin! ” said Mr. Jones, who 
was the first to reach him ; “I hope you feel 
none the worse for the ride ? ” 

“ Did you ever see anything more gracefully 
done ? ” said Ned, bursting into a merry laugh. 

“ How will that do for the adventure, Mr. 
Ned?” said Marie. 

“ Pretty well for a beginning ; but you do not 


Birthday Picnic. 71 

like it much, do you, old partner?” said he, 
patting the pony affectionately. “Let’s move 
on and see who can make the next diversion 
for the crowd.” 

Robina and Mr. Lee were some distance in 
advance of the others, chatting merrily and en- 
joying to the fullest extent the exquisite beauty 
of each new variety of evergreens, forest trees, 
ferns, and wild flowers which grew in rich pro- 
fusion to the very edge of the road. In many 
places the beautiful mountain moss hung in 
festoons over the huge rocks, which might well 
have been proud of their soft mantle, with its 
clusters of white stars, which certainly did not 
“waste their sweetness on the desert air” with- 
out being admired by each group as they 
passed. Suddenly Mr. Lee caught Robina’s 
bridle-rein and held it firmly as he said, in an 
undertone : “ Look over yonder on the side of 
that large rock just above the road.” 

“ What is it?” said Robina, whose first dread 
was of a rattlesnake. 

“ Do you see that immense hornet’s nest 
hanging from the rock ? If they attack us, it 
will be infinitely worse than Ned’s adventure 


72 Camping on the Blue Ridge. 

with yellow-jackets. As I see your father is 
very near, I will leave you in his care and ride 
back to warn the rest of the party. You had 
best go very quietly past the bend in the road, 
and then ride rapidly for at least a quarter of 
a mile so as to be entirely out of danger.” 

Turning his horse, he rode rapidly back to 
tell of the threatened danger. 

“ I hope Ned will not risk any of his reckless 
pranks about that nest,” said Mr. Lee, as he 
rejoined Mr. Richards and Robina. “ I begged 
him to be careful, lest some of the ladies might 
suffer.” 

Mr. Richards looked back anxiously. “ I see 
them coming two and two ; my other girls are 
safe. There are Mr. David, Ned, James, and 
Miss Ella, all safe, but there comes Miss Nan- 
nie alone.” 

“ I shall ride back and see if harm has be- 
fallen her escort,” said James. 

“ I hope you have not been stung, Miss Nan- 
nie ? ” he said, as he met her. 

“ Oh, yes I have,” she groaned, placing her 
hand over her mouth as if in great pain. 
“ Please go back to Mr. Jones if you are not 


Birthday Picnic . 73 

afraid of the hornets ; he was stung by so many 
that he got too sick to come on.” 

“ Here, uncle,” said James, who was always 
equal to any emergency, “give me a piece of 
your tobacco to put on Miss Nannie’s face, 
while you and Mr. David go and doctor Mr. 
Jones.” 

“How do you know tobacco will help me ? ” 
said Miss Nannie. 

“I have heard that it would relieve a sting,” 
said James. “I suppose upon the principle 
that one poison counteracts another,” chewing 
bravely at the tobacco to soften it. “My 
stars ! ” he exclaimed, as he began to feel quite 
sick, “ how can men find pleasure in using this 
vile stuff? ” 

“ Please do not chew it any more, Mr. Bur- 
nett. You are very kind ; but you look so sick, 
I insist upon your giving me that tobacco now.” 

“Do I look sick?” said James; “I hope I 
don’t look as badly as ” 

“ As I do,” said Miss Nannie, rubbing the 
proposed remedy upon her swollen face ; then, 
as the ludicrousness of the situation burst upon 
them, the discomfort from which both were 


74 


Camping on the Blue Ridge. 

suffering did not prevent them from indulging 
in a laugh which seemed to be a relief to their 
feelings. 

“What are you two amusing yourselves 
with ? ” asked Robina. 

“This gallant youth is doctoring my face,” 
said Miss Nannie, determined to make the best 
of her misfortune; “but it is not so enjoyable 
a romance as you might imagine.” 

“Where is Mr. Jones?” 

“Coming on after a while,” said Ned, who 
rode up at that moment; “but he is one sick 
boy now, stung all over his face, and far from 
being his mother’s pretty boy. Bless me, Nan- 
nie ! ” he continued, “ you are a pretty one ! It 
will be no trouble for you to ‘ hold a stiff upper 
lip ’ now, as we boys say. I move you let some 
of the others try the next excitement, as your 
experiment has proved unbecoming.” 

“Looks are the smallest part,” said Miss Nan- 
nie. 

“ Call it small if you please,” said Ned, “ but 
if you could see your face you would think it 
looked pretty large ; that is, large without the 
pretty.” 


Birthday Picnic . 


75 


“Yon are a first-rate doctor, Mr. Burnett,” 
said Miss Nannie ; “your medicine has relieved 
me greatly.” 

“How far are we from the Falls?” asked 
Marie. 

“Almost there,” said Ned. “After we turn 
that bend in the road we will have to climb 
down the side of the mountain until we reach 
them. We shall have to leave the horses at 
the road and walk, or rather tumble, down to 
the river. 


CHAPTER IX. 


THE PICNIC. — Continued. 

I T certainly was something of a scramble 
making the descent to the river, but none 
the less enjoyed by our party because of its 
roughness, and they all felt fully repaid when 
they reached the beautiful stream of clear 
water flowing over the moss-covered stones 
which formed its bed. 

“No Falls here, Mr. Ned,” said Rosalie. 

“I hear them,” said Marie. “Come on up 
this way.” And off she started, the rest of the 
party following her at a more moderate pace. 
Soon a loud cheer echoed through the hills, 
and a few more steps brought them to the 
lovely Falls. 

As they stood and watched the foaming wa- 
ter dashing over the ledge of rocks, and heard 
its ceaseless roar, they felt fully repaid for the 
trouble of getting there. The gleams of sun- 
light which found their way between the rich 
76 


The Picnic. 77 

foliage painted miniature rainbows ever and 
anon across the stream. 

“Just see those exquisite ferns,” said Ro- 
bina / “how lovely they look as they wave and 
nod under the delicate spray which falls upon 
them continually.” 

“Do you not love to think, Miss Robina,” 
said Mr. Lee, “that all these beautiful things 
were made by our heavenly Father to give us 
pleasure and add brightness to our lives ? ” 

“Yes, indeed. I think we enjoy everything 
more when we look upon our mercies and 
blessings in that way ; and the God of nature 
seems to come very near us when we realize 
his presence in all the beauties of nature 
around us.” 

“I do not know that there is any Scripture 
to prove it, but I love to think that there will 
be flowers in our heavenly home,” said Mr. 
Lee. “ I am very fond of them, and they do 
certainly brighten my life here.” 

While the rest of the party were looking for 
a suitable place to arrange the dinner, Robina 
walked leisurely up the stream with Mr. Lee. 

“ I fear that this walk is too rough for you,” 


78 


Camping 071 the Blue Ridge. 

she said, noticing the wearied look upon his 
face, with the kind thoughtfulness which made 
her ever watchful for the comfort of others. 

“I am fatigued, but I do not think it will in- 
jure me in any way. This is a lovely spot, 
though, and this seat looks as if it might have 
been cut out in this grand old rock for us. 
Suppose we rest here for a while.” 

“Very well,” said Robina; “sit down, and I 
will come-, too, as soon as I gather some of 
these flowers and mosses to make a birthday 
wreath for Marie. I think they will all be back 
here soon, for I feel sure they will not find a 
more suitable place for dinner than upon that 
flat rock just beyond you. I wonder that they 
did not decide upon it without going further in 
search of a table.” 

“What lovely flowers you have gathered!” 
said Mr. Lee. “Some of them are entirely new 
to me.” 

Robina laid them on the rock by him while 
she cut a few delicate sprigs of evergreens, and 
then her deft fingers fashioned a crown beau- 
tiful enough to have graced the brow of a 
queen. 


The Picnic. 


79 


“Oh! you threw away such a lovely little 
flower!” said Robina, as she reached down to 
rescue the delicate little blossom as it was 
floating past her down the stream. 

“ I did not suppose you could use that flower 
with the broken stem,” said Mr. Lee. 

“It is broken,” said his fair friend, “but it 
has such rare beauty that I am going to fasten 
it here in front of this wreath, where it will 
show to the best advantage.” 

“How characteristic that is of yourself!” 
said the young man, his expressive brown eyes 
showing feeling too deep for utterance. 

“ I do not know that I understand you,” said 
Robina, answering his look with one as earnest 
and sincere. 

“Why, you are always looking for the good 
in your friends, and overlooking their defects, 
just as you did that flower; and then you 
stretch out a helping hand and rescue the 
needy, or raise the fallen, just as you did that 
little blossom. Yes,” he continued, “and as 
your hand has made it conspicuous in this 
crown, which must soon fade and die, those 
whom you have rescued from perishing will 


80 Camping on the Blue Ridge. 

shine in your fadeless crown through all eter- 
nity.” 

Robina felt, too deeply for words, all that he 
said, but listened with that appreciation which 
is an inspiration in itself, as he continued : “It 
may seem vain in me to compare myself to a 
flower, but all that is in anywise attractive or 
good in me is due to your influence. You, 
under God, were the instrument he used to 
save me from drifting down into the sea of 
misanthropy. When I found that inherited 
disease was slowly, but surely, fastening itself 
upon me, and that the future had nothing in 
store for me but lingering suffering and early 
death, I was full of bitterness and sinful rebel- 
lion. Do not look so grieved, my good friend. 
You could not know how much good you have 
done me, unless you knew from what you have 
saved me.” Then, with the light of a noble, 
unselfish love beaming in his soft, melancholy 
eyes, he continued: “My fondest hopes were 
crushed and broken. I knew that the cherished 
dream of my life must be given up, and, with 
my heart overwhelmed with anguish, I felt that 
life was no longer worth living. Dark waves 


The Picnic. 


81 


of trouble rolled over my soul, and seemed to 
be sweeping me down, down, I knew not where. 
Thanks to a loving heavenly Father, your ten- 
der hand was extended to draw me out of the 
deadly current, and to help me to set my feet 
upon the Bock of Ages. I hope hereafter to 
shine as a star in your crown of rejoicing.” 

Bobina had often longed to help Mr. Lee, to 
lead him to the Lamb of God for the comfort 
and peace which he alone could impart, but 
feared that her motives might be misunderstood, 
and, instead of helping him, she might add to 
his grief by seeming to encourage hopes which 
could never be realized. Feeling her own in- 
ability to do the good so much desired, she 
had sought the wisdom and grace promised for 
every time of need, and the earnest words of 
the young man showed that her prayers had 
been answered. She had been toying while he 
was speaking with the wreath upon her lap, 
and as he finished, took the broken flower from 
it and pinned it very carefully upon her dress. 
Then she looked up at him with a smile so full 
of gladness that it illumined her whole face, 
and the tears which filled her eyes were more 


82 Camping on the Blue Bulge. 

eloquent than words, as she exclaimed : “I am 
so glad you have told me this. I shall have 
stronger faith hereafter as I pray for my friends, 
because God has honored me by allowing me 
thus to help you. I intend to keep this dear 
little flower as a memento of the conversation 
on our mossy stone seat here. If there were 
time I would like to tell you how you, too, have 
helped me, but not now, as I see our party 
coming back. How merrily their laughter 
rings out ! ” 

“ Yes,” said Mr. Lee ; “ there is nothing more 
musical than the unaffected laugh of a happy, 
artless girl.” 

“ Here we are, back again,” said Marie, 
“having found nothing so suitable for a table as 
this grand old mossy rock. Oh, sister! ” she ex- 
claimed, “what a lovely wreath you have ! ” 

“ Glad you like it, dear,” said Eobina, “ for 
it is to deck your fair brow on this your birth- 
day.” 

“My heart is full of poetry to-day,” said 
Marie, “ and if I could find words to express my 
thanks, they should be yours, sweet sister 
mine.” Bowing her head, she received her 


The Picnic. 


83 


floral crown, and Ned’s mock homage and 
“ Hurrah to our lovely July queen ! She’s the 
prettiest flower that ever was seen. My! it 
makes a fellow’s heart go pit-a-pat just to look 
at her!” 

“ I am sure, Miss Marie, the flowers should 
be as proud of adorning your brow as you are 
of being transformed into our queen of July by 
their aid,” said Mr. Lee. 

“ Oh, thank you ! ” said Marie. “ What would 
only be fulsome flattery from others is appre- 
ciated from you, because you are so sincere.” 

“ I’ll tell you what is a fact,” said Ned, “ I 
never had such a bad case of heartache but 
that a good dinner would give me wonderful 
relief, and I therefore suggest that we investi- 
gate those lunch-baskets.” 

“ A very good suggestion,” said James ; “ I, 
too, am beginning to feel an aching void, and 
am much inclined to try the effect of dinner. 
She was a sensible woman who said, ‘ If you 
want to keep a man sweet and civil, feed him,’ 
so you ladies had best not try us much longer, 
as we are on our good behavior to-day.” 

A tempting repast was soon spread upon the 


84 


Camping on the Blue Ridge . 

stone table, to which full justice was done by 
the hungry pedestrians. 

“Where is Mr. Brown?” asked Rosalie, as 
they gathered around the table. 

“Gone to see after Mr. Jones,” said Ned. 

“Here he comes; what report do you bring 
from the horneted knight?” 

“Not a very favorable one, I am sorry to say ; 
he is more comfortable, but still in so much 
pain from his wounds, and the temporary de- 
struction of his good looks, that he begs the 
ladies will excuse him from showing his swollen 
4 phiz mong pretty folk ’ — if you will excuse a 
garbled quotation.” 

“I am truly glad you escaped so lightly, Miss 
Nannie,” said James. 

“Not more so than I am,” she answered; 
“ thanks to your thoughtfulness and gallantry, 
I shall be able to enjoy my dinner, though my 
lips are still on the order of a full-blown 
peony.” 

When dinner was over, and a visit had been 
paid to a beautiful cave in the side of the 
mountain near them, Mr. Richards announced 
that it was time to turn their faces homeward. 


The Picnic. 


85 


They all felt loath to leave the beautiful pic- 
nic ground, but consented to go if Ned would 
take them home another way, and insure their 
safety from hornets and yellow-jackets. 

The return was accomplished without any 
further adventure, and all the party but Mr. 
Jones expressed themselves as delighted with 
the trip and gave Ned a unanimous vote of 
thanks for having afforded them the enjoyment 
of such a never-to-be-forgotten day. 


CHAPTER X. 


LOST. 


ORE than a week had passed since the 



-LVJL picnic, and our friends at the “ castle ” 
had enjoyed every moment of the time. When 
they were not taking delightful rambles over 
the mountains, visiting or receiving visitors, 
they entertained themselves with music, games, 
and reading; Quits and Our Mutual Friend 
being among the books read aloud. One of the 
most pleasant excursions they had taken was 
to the famous Round Knob. This was a rare 
treat. The president of the road had taken 
them on his private car, and they had the 
pleasure not only of his company, but our 
loved and honored late Governor Yance was 
also one of the party. His name will be 
famous among her noblest patriots, whom she 
is proud to name as one of her sons, as long as 
North Carolina has a history, and all truQ 
southern hearts delight to do honor to his 
memory. Not only did his public life give him 


86 


FOUNTAIN at round knob 



























Lost. 


87 


a well-deserved reputation, but all who knew 
him socially loved him for his warm, honest 
heart, and his genial manners. His wonderful 
wit and humor made him the centre of attrac- 
tion in every social gathering, and the highest 
expectations of the tourists were more than 
realized by having him with them as they en- 
joyed the exquisite scenery and unsurpassed 
engineering of the railroad through the moun- 
tains at Round Knob. 

There had been nothing thus far to mar the 
pleasure of the camping party at the “ castle,” 
but one afternoon when Mr. Richards came 
down from the railroad, where he had gone to 
get the mail, Mrs. Richards asked him, with 
some anxiety in her tone, “ Where is Edwin? ” 

“ I do not know,” he answered, “ I have not 
seen him since I started up for the mail.” 

“ Have not seen him ! ” exclaimed the now 
anxious mother. “ I gave him permission to go 
with you to the top of the mountain, and saw 
him start off as fast as he could go. Have 
you been up there ever since the train passed ? ” 

“No, after getting the mail, I walked over to 
Mud-cut to talk with some of the convicts who 


88 Camping on the Blue Ridge. 

are at work there. Where could the little fel- 
low have gone when he failed to find me ? ” 

All was alarm and excitement, for the dangers 
were great for an inexperienced child. 

Mr. Eichards hurried up the mountain lest 
Edwin might have ventured across the fearful 
trestle, and been killed by falling upon the 
rocks below. The others, by twos, went to dif- 
ferent points of danger. But the mountains 
only sent back a dull echo as the precious 
name “Edwin! Edwin!” was shouted from 
time to time. Their anxiety increased as the 
distant rumble of the approaching train was 
heard. What if the dear boy should be caught 
by the train upon a trestle, or in one of the 
tunnels ! The thought almost paralyzed them ! 
Suddenly it occurred to Eosalie that Edwin may 
have understood his mother as giving him 
permission to go to the top of the mountain, 
and, rather than return alone over the high 
trestles and through the dark tunnels, had^pre- 
ferred going round by the stage-road. 

“Marie and I will go on the stage-road, 
Auntie,” said Eosalie, and immediately the two 
young girls started off, only stopping to inquire 


Lost. 


89 


of every one they met for the lost boy. But no 
one had seen him. When they reached the 
stockade, flushed and almost breathless, their 
only answer to Captain Smith’s anxious in- 
quiry, “What is the matter, young ladies?” 
was, “Have you seen our Edwin this after- 
noon?” 

“ Yes,” he answered. “ The little fellow was 
here a short time ago asking for his father. 
When I told him he had not been here since 
his morning visit to Jim he started back down 
the railroad.” 

“Down the railroad!” gasped Marie. “ Was 
it before or after that last train ? ” 

“Before,” said Captain Smith; “and I did 
not think of the child’s danger until he was out 
of sight, but I sent a ‘trusty’ after him, and 
hope you will find him safe at home.” 

Thanking him for his kindness, the girls hur- 
ried down the railroad in a fast run, but had 
only gone a short distance when they saw 
James coming to meet them. What tidings 
does he bring ? Ah ! he is smiling. “ Halloa ! ” 
he shouts, “ the lost is found ! ” When he 
joined them he told them that the always-obe- 


90 Camping on the Blue Ridge . 

dient little boy had understood his mother as 
having given him permission to go to the top of 
the mountain, had gone up safely alone, and 
returned unhurt, under the protection of the 
faithful John. “And now, my girls,” he con- 
tinued, “ we must return as rapidly as possible, 
or night will overtake us. We can shorten our 
walk by going across the mountain, as it would 
be too great a risk to venture down the track 
when the train is so nearly due. We might 
meet it in the long, dark tunnel, which is too 
narrow for us to escape in safety. Here is the 
path over the mountain, but it is so narrow that 
we must go ‘Indian file.’ I will go in front, 
and you girls must keep a sharp lookout, or 
you may happen to step on a rattlesnake and 
hurt it.” 

They were certainly in great danger from 
snakes, for the ferns and whortleberry bushes 
were more than waist high, and so thick that 
they could not see the ground. The climb up 
the mountain was a steep one, but they all 
walked on bravely ; yet, notwithstanding their 
utmost speed, night overtook them before they 
had gotten half-way down on the homeward 


Lost. 


91 


side, and in the darkness they lost the path. 
Only those who have been lost upon a wild 
mountain at night can imagine the horror of 
such a situation. But our young people were 
very brave, and, with silent prayer for guidance 
and protection, they moved on slowly, James 
feeling his way as best he might with a large 
stick. With all his care, he lost his footing 
several times, and slipped ten feet or more over 
the rocks, each time finding the girls waiting 
anxiously for him when he had climbed up to 
them again, fearing lest he had fallen over one 
cf the precipices which were near their path. 
After several such dangerous slides, he stopped 
abruptly, and with an effort to make the best of 
everything, as was always his rule, said : “ Well, 
girls, I suppose we shall have to climb up into 
some of these trees and roost until daylight.” 

Marie shuddered, and was almost overcome 
by the violent pain in her head, caused by ex- 
citement and weariness, but brave, courageous 
little Bosalie pressed her arm tightly round her, 
whispering words of hope and comfort. 

“You see,” said James; “or rather it is so 
dark you cannot see, the only way we can cross 


92 Camping on the Blue Ridge. 

the deep cut in front of us is by walking over on 
a narrow ledge of rock, and it would be a fearful 
risk to venture now.” 

Just then a loud “ Halloo ” rang out on the 
still night air. 

“Halloo!” shouted the lost ones, almost 
wildly. 

“Oh!” said Rosalie, “that is uncle. Now, 
dear old girl, be brave, and we will soon be 
safely back again.” 

Mr. Richards had started out in search of the 
wanderers, armed with his heavy walking-cane 
and lantern, knowing the great dangers which 
beset their path if they attempted to take the 
nearer way back. Learning from their answer 
where they were, he called to them to stand 
still until he could reach a safe place on the 
opposite side of the cut. He then raised the 
lantern as high as possible and shouted, “This 
way, my children ; come to me.” But the light 
blinded their eyes, and only seemed to make 
darkness more visible ; so lowering the lantern, 
they were guided entirely by his oft-repeated, 
“This way; come to me.” In that way they 
crossed the narrow ledge in safety, where the 


Lost. 


93 


morning light showed them that one misstep 
would have hurled them over the precipice 
upon the rocks below. Great was the rejoicing 
when all the party were gathered together once 
more in the little cabin which they called home, 
and all felt that they could understand now, 
better than ever before, the significance of 
“lost, and is found.” 


CHAPTER XI. 


FOUND. 

“ IV yTR. RICHARDS ! Mr. Richards! ” called 
-i-VJL John’s familiar voice at the early dawn. 

“What will you have?” said Mr. Richards. 

“ I came down to beg you to come as soon as 
you can to see Jim, if you please, sir.” 

“Certainly; I will go immediately. Is he 
much worse?” 

“Yes, sir,” said John; “Captain Smith and 
I have been up all night with him, and thought 
he was dying several times, so I came down for 
you as soon as it was light.” 

“I will be ready in a few moments, John. 
Tell Captain Smith I will be there as soon as 
possible,” and waiting only long enough to take 
a hurried cold breakfast, he was soon by the 
sufferer’s bedside. He had visited him almost 
daily, and hoped the vigorous young life would 
overcome the disease. He had seemed per- 
fectly resigned to God’s will, his desire for life 
being only to live that he might tell others 
94 


Found . 


95 


what a dear Saviour he had found, and to 
atone, in some degree, for the anguish of heart 
which he had caused his mother. One look at 
the sunken features and wild, glaring eyes 
made the good minister’s heart sink. 

“How long has he looked this way?” asked 
Mr. Eichards, as he stood outside the door 
with faithful John. 

“ All night, sir. He does not know any one ; 
either lies in a stupor, or is talking wildly, in a 
way that tears my old heart all to pieces.” 

Not strange that it should, for the sweet, 
peaceful look was gone from Jim’s face, and in 
its place was the frenzied look of a madman 
gleaming from his blood-shot eyes. 

“Hear what he is saying,” said John. 

“ I told you I did not want to go, and would 
not have a hand in any such business,” 
screamed Jim, fiercely ; “ you made me go, and 
then let me bear as much blame as the rest of 
you, when I did nothing, and thought I was 
just waiting in the street to go with you to an- 
other place. How could you have deceived me 
so ? Oh, my poor mother ! it will kill her that 
I have brought disgrace upon her name.” 


96 Camping on the Blue Ridge. 

With a heart-rending groan he covered his face 
with his hands and sank exhausted into uncon- 
sciousness again. 

Motioning John to bring him cool water, Mr. 
Richards gently sponged the hot face and 
hands, stroking them as tenderly as his mother 
could have done. The poor boy seemed soothed 
for a short time, but suddenly the fearful bur- 
den which had oppressed his heart so long 
burst the restraint of dethroned reason, and his 
wailing cry rang through the room : “ Oh, 
mother ! dear, dear mother ! look at me and say 
you forgive me ! My heart is breaking ! I can- 
not live any longer without your love! ” Then, 
sinking almost into a whisper, he continued: 
“Jesus has forgiven me, and he knows how 
sorry I am, and that I pray every day for the 
wicked boys who helped me to do so wrong and 
run off from home. If he can forgive me, will 
not you, oh, my mother?” 

His excitement was so great that four men 
could scarcely hold him upon his bed until he 
could be quieted by opiates. 

As soon as possible, Mr. Richards hastened 
to the telegraph office and wired Jim’s mother : 


Found. 


97 


“Your lost boy is here, very ill; come to him 
quickly.” 

Turning from the office, he made the oft-re- 
peated prayer that the poor sufferer’s life might 
be spared, at least until his mother could reach 
him from her home. He reproached himself 
now for not having insisted upon writing to 
Mrs. Ravenel as soon as Jim told him of his 
parentage and real name ; but, as he had plead 
that it should not be done, Mr. Richards had 
yielded his better judgment to that of the sick 
boy, and only sent the telegram when he felt 
that it would be cruelty to the yearning mo- 
ther-heart to keep her longer in ignorance. 

“I am very glad you sent that message,” 
said Captain Smith, “but I greatly fear he will 
not live until she arrives.” 

“I trust our Father will answer the united 
prayers of my family, and spare his life; but, 
if not, we know that God makes no mistakes, 
and it will be for the best in some way.” 

“ I hope you will be with us as much as pos- 
sible, Mr. Richards,”- said Captain Smith; for, 
though not a pious man himself, he felt much 
more comfortable in having a minister present 


7 


98 Camping on the Blue Biclge. 

when the angel of death seemed to be hovering 
so near them. 

“I will go down now to let my family know 
of Jim’s critical condition, get some dinner, 
and return to help you through the night. 
They are all greatly interested in the poor 
boy, and distressed to know of his dangerous 
illness.” 

After his return, Mr. Richards took the place 
of head nurse by the sick boy, who seemed 
soothed by his presence, even in his semi-con- 
scious condition. Whenever there were lucid 
moments, Mr. Richards repeated comforting 
texts of Scripture, hoping the Great Physician 
might by them speak peace to the tortured soul. 

The answering telegram. “I will start at 
once to my boy,” had roused the good man’s 
sympathy and pity for the suffering mother 
during her long journey of agonizing suspense, 
and he plead that she, too, might be sustained 
by the blessed Comforter. 

With a sinking heart, he saw in the morning 
light the sunken eyes and death-like look upon 
Jim’s face. He was so weak now as to be 
easily controlled, and his talking, though still 


Found. 


99 


excited and wild at times, was less loud and 
vehement. 

Slowly the hours dragged by. Closer and 
closer the death-angel hovered, until all in the 
room seemed almost to feel his cold breath fan 
their cheeks. Mr. Richards and John had kept 
a constant watch during the day, the doctor 
and Captain Smith coming in ever and anon to 
see if there was any change, and to offer any 
service which might be needed. 

At five o’clock in the afternoon, Jim opened 
his eyes, looked at Mr. Richards for a moment 
with a perfectly rational expression, and then 
said, in an earnest tone : “ Mr. Richards, please 
tell my mother I was not afraid to die ; I am 
trusting in Jesus.” 

Before any ’reply could be made, the weary 
eyes closed so gently that the doctor stepped 
forward and felt the fluttering pulse to see if 
the spirit had taken its flight. There was life 
still, but the silver cord seemed almost loosed. 

Mr. Richards sank upon his knees, in a 
hushed voice commended the dying boy to the 
tender keeping of his mother’s God, then si- 
lently left the room. 


100 Camping on the Blue Ridge. 

The train was coming. Oh! if the mother 
could only come on it! Minutes seemed hours 
as the train came slowly through tunnels and 
over the high trestles. 

Is that a lady hurrying through the coach ? 

Yes ; the conductor is helping a lady off, and 
Mr. Eichards is at her side in a moment. 

“ Have I the pleasure of meeting Mrs. Bave- 
nel?” asked he, in a voice of mingled respect 
and sympathy. 

“I am Mrs. Bavenel,” she answered, her 
eyes expressing unutterable anguish ; the quiv- 
ering lips seeming to refuse to give any utter- 
ance. “My boy?” was all she could say. 

With a questioning glance at the doctor, 
who was meeting them, Mr. Eichards asked, 
“Is he living still?” 

“He is,” said the doctor, bowing to Mrs. 
Eavenel. 

“ Take my arm, madam, and let me assist 
you,” said Mr. Eichards, gently, seeing her 
delicate frame quivering like an aspen leaf from 
intense excitement. 

With a powerful effort of her will she com- 
posed herself and was quite calm when they 
reached Captain Smith’s office. 


Found. 


101 


“ Let me see him,” she plead, “ I promise to 
be perfectly quiet and composed.” 

‘‘You must prepare yourself to be greatly 
shocked by his appearance,” said the doctor. 
“He is in a stupor so near akin to death that 
you will scarcely believe him living. It is a 
fearful crisis, the least excitement would be 
instantly fatal, but if he can get a quiet sleep, 
there will be hope for his life.” 

“You can trust me,” said the sorrowing 
mother, and the three silently entered the 
room, Mrs. Ravenel clinging to the strong arm 
which supported her tenderly, as she shuddered 
fearfully, and involuntarily clasped her hand 
over her eyes, as if to shut out the death -like 
vision. Kneeling at the bedside, she silently 
watched her boy as he lay motionless as if in 
death. No sound passed her lips, but into the 
ear of the God of Sabaoth entered the anguished 
prayer, “Oh, Father! let him live, if only to 
recognize his mother and know that she has 
forgiven him.” 

In a short time Jim became restless again 
and began inarticulate moaning. How the 
yearning mother-heart longed to speak, but she 


102 Camping on the Blue Bulge. 

only bent over him and stroked his brow gently 
with her soft hand. Even in his half-conscious 
state the touch of love was recognized without 
opening his eyes, a peaceful smile overspread 
his pale face, and he whispered, “My mother! 
Oh, I’m so glad you’ve come!” The thin arms 
were raised beseechingly, clasped for a moment 
round the mother’s neck and then fell back 
upon the bed — in death? No, a long sigh of 
intense relief, and he slept as sweetly as an 
infant. With a mother’s untiring devotion 
Mrs. Ravenel sat for several hours gently 
stroking her boy’s head, fearing to stop lest it 
might waken him. 

Feeling sure that she could be trusted not to 
excite him, and that the crisis would be safely 
passed when he woke, the doctor and Mr. 
Richards left the room, thinking it best for 
them to be alone when Jim’s consciousness 
should return. 

Faithful John was stationed outside the 
door, ready to render any needed assistance 
at a moment’s notice. 

With a very thankful heart Mr. Richards re- 
turned to the “ castle,” leaving word that he 


Found. 


103 


would see Mrs. Ravenel and Jim in the morn- 
ing. 

We will leave the reader to picture for him- 
self the joyous meeting between long-parted 
mother and son, when, after hours of restful 
sleep, Jim opened his eyes to find her precious 
face bending over him, and hear the loved 
voice whispering, “ This my son was dead, and 
is alive again; he was lost, and is found/’ 

“ Farewell, dear old ‘ castle,’ we are loath to 
leave you, and will never, never forget the 
many happy hours we have spent under your 
roof.” 

“Now, Marie, do not get pathetic,” said 
Rosalie, “ or we will all have to shed tears.” 

Most of the party had gone up to the rail- 
road on their way to take the train at the top 
of the mountain, and were taking a last look at 
the “ castle,” before returning to their home in 
the low country. 

James and Robina had taken the horse and 
jersey to join a small party for a more extended 
trip through western North Carolina. 

Our party were joined at the train by Mrs. 


104 Camping on the Blue Ridge . 

Ravenel, and her son, Herbert, who were to 
travel with them as far as their way was the 
same. The happy mother looked ten years 
younger than she did on that dreadful after- 
noon when she had reached the mountains. 
No one would have recognized in the hand- 
some, well-dressed, happy-looking Herbert 
Ravenel our quondam friend Jim. All the 
necessary information had been gained by 
Captain Smith and Mr. Richards, who had 
interested Governor Yance in Jim’s sad his- 
tory, and, through his influence, gained his 
release from the remaining term of service. 

The sad memory of the years of shame and 
disgrace which had blighted the early youth 
that would otherwise have been bright and 
happy always caused a bitter pang to Herbert 
and his mother. But even that dark cloud had 
its “silver lining,” for while wearing the 
shackles, which were the penalty for broken 
laws, he had been released from the bondage in 
which Satan had bound him, and having been 
made free by the Son, was free indeed. The 
love and gratitude which he and his mother 
felt for Mr. Richards was deep and lasting, for 


Found. 


105 


they felt that to his instruction and tender 
nursing they owed, as God’s instrumentality, 
both the spiritual and temporal life of the wan- 
derer. To Mrs. Richards, too, they were warm- 
ly attached, for she had done much for the sick 
boy, bestowing many such thoughtful little at- 
tentions as only a tender mother-heart could 
suggest. 

Many years have passed since that summer 
of which we have written. Our young friend 
Herbert, now a prosperous and beloved physi- 
cian in a southern city, is forgetting the things 
which are behind and earnestly pressing for- 
ward toward the mark for the prize of the high 
calling of God in Christ Jesus. With him lives 
the faithful nurse, John, the “trusty,” from 
whom they had gained the promise before leav- 
ing the mountains that he would come directly 
to them at the end of his nearly-expired term 
of service. He, too, and others of those con- 
victs will shine hereafter as stars in the crown 
of the faithful old minister. In his new home, 
where none know but themselves of the sins of 
his early youth, repented of, and cleansed by 


106 


Camping on the Blue Ridge. 







the blood of Christ, John is a faithful laborer in 
the Master’s vineyard, ever careful to lend a 
helping hand to raise the fallen. 

All but two of the happy party at the “ cas- 
tle ” are living still, for they were real, and not 
imaginary characters. The earnest voice of the 
faithful minister has ceased upon earth, and Lis 
songs of praise are uniting with those who wor- 
ship around the throne of God, where he has 
welcomed many of those whom he led to the 
Saviour. “Whom the gods love die early.” 
The noble J ames received the summons at high 
noon to come up higher, and he, too, ceased 
from his labors. Others of the party, who have 
often borne the heat and burden of the day, are 
looking forward with joyful hope to joining 
those who have gone before in rest and wor- 
ship upon the holy mount of Jerusalem the 
golden. For the only one of that happy moun- 
tain party who is still wandering from the fold, 
the pleading voice still echoes from heaven, 
“This way, my boy; come to me.” 






























* 


















